In the development of motorized transport, one of the first enhancements, after reasonable vehicular reliability was achieved, was a means of protecting the operator and passengers from flying insects, dust, and the elements of wind, sunlight, rain, heat and cold. With automobiles and the like, this protection manifested itself in enclosed bodies with windows that could be rolled up and down, and windshield and vent windows that could be tipped open or closed. Heating, venting, and air conditioning followed.
Motorcyclists, however, enjoyed no such protections, except through riding apparel, until after World War II when, following the military's lead, motorcycle windshields were offered to the public. They were typically a nearly flat, semi-oval shaped piece of clear plastic mounted round side up, on and extending upward from the handlebars. They were held in place with metal bracketry and re-enforced with a steel rod inside the periphery of the inner edge. They had a gangly, afterthought appearance and were looked upon with disdain by the majority of “enthusiasts.”
Various improvements were made over the years including the development of frame mounted fairings and bodywork. However, there is still room for improvement, namely:
1. Provide adequate protections as listed above while minimizing blind spots in the operator's field of view.
2. Provide adequate protections as listed above without resorting to a windshield or fairing of such large proportions that the overall appearance or styling of the vehicle is compromised.
3. Provide a means of enhancing aerodynamics such that air displaced by the motion of the vehicle is encouraged to flow around the operator with a minimum of turbulence, rather than over the windshield and onto him, causing buffeting and fatigue.
4. Provide stability to the vehicle at moderate to high speeds that will tend to keep the vehicle on its directed line of travel despite head winds, cross winds, and traffic generated turbulence.
5. Be easily removed for cleaning of its inner surface and the underlying vehicle, or for operating sans protection, without the use of tools; and then likewise re-attached. Detachable windshields are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,441; U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,166; U.S. Pat. No. 6,176,538; U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,217; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,658,035.
The Ideal Windshield for the Vehicles Mentioned above Would Have these Additional Properties:
6. Be clear, non-yellowing, optically non-distorting, and un-changing in the extremes of temperatures to be expected, say, 20 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Be mounted and safely held in place during operation without the use of metal bracketry extending into the path the operator and/or passenger might follow if thrown from the vehicle in an accident.
8. Be made of material unlikely to fracture in such a way when struck by a stone or piece of metal, or as described in #7, so as to create a hazard to the operator or passenger, yet be strong enough, flexible enough, and fatigue resistant enough to withstand the rigors of use without cracking or breaking.
9. Be scratch resistant from impingement by typical airborne debris or from reasonable efforts to clean it.
10. Be capable of manufacture and installation at a reasonable and competitive price.
11. Through enhanced aerodynamics provide improved gas mileage, or in the case of bicycles, improved operator efficiency.
12. Be as compact as possible consistent with the above requirements so as to complement the styling and appearance of the underlying vehicle, rather than detract from it.
13. Extend the listed protections as far backward toward the operator as possible without interfering with his visibility or operation of the vehicle.